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The soft glow of the early morning sun seeped through the window blinds. Nate and Anya remained in the unlit haven of her bed. His strong arms wrapped around her as her head rested against the smooth plane of his chest. After such a lack in peaceful sleep due to her nightmares, her body clung to sleep as it clung to him. He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but he awoke with a hint of a smile. When she had asked him to stay with her that night, he knew that she needed an anchor. Something to hold her firm as the winds and waves tossed her in an unforgiving sea. And he had. Twice the sea tried to drown her, but twice he held her tight. Her breathing and heartrate had quickened as her hand clenched his nightshirt.
“I’m here,” he would repeatedly whisper to her as his hand drew soothing circles on her back.
Both times, she calmed and slipped back into a deep sleep. Sometime during the night, he had followed her and fell asleep as well. He awoke feeling rested and content as she became a familiar warmth beside him.
She shifted in his arms and he moved with her. Her back pressed against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist. The sunlight crept through the room, gradually invading their peaceful reverie. As it began to illuminate her face, she stirred, sighing at the intrusive light.
“Good morning,” he whispered to her.
“Morning,” she mumbled with a faint smile, eyes still shut and clinging to sleep. She remained still, denying the morning its victory.
Propping up his head, he smiled down at her, admiring the glow that the morning light gave her. Strands of her formally neatly braided hair brushed across her cheek and danced down her neck. Moving his hand from her waist, he let it skim its way up her arm. Briefly pausing at her shoulder, he drew small circles before continuing up to her face where he brushed away the loose hair. He caressed her cheek and smiled as she silently sighed. His hand slipped down to her neck, fingertips lightly tracing the nearly mended scar. Shifting back down her arm, he settled his hand at her hip.
“What are you doing back there?” Anya murmured, the playfulness evident although thickly coated with sleep.
“Trying not to get lost,” He sighed.
Her eyes slid open as she turned back to look at him. He looked like a dream. The light sparkled in those warm brown eyes. She lowered her gaze, unable to hold his intensity. Fully turning in his arms, she buried her face into his chest and felt it rumble as he huffed out a soundless laugh. His grip tightened around her and she relaxed into it.
“Thank you,” she mumbled into his shirt.
“For what?” The confusion tinting his voice.
“For staying,” she confessed. He rolled to his back, taking her with him.
He closed his eyes as a gentle smile graced his lips.
“Always,” He whispered to her, drawing her even closer with his arm.
The sun had now completely risen as they rested in each other’s arms, taking solace in one another’s embrace. The rise and fall of his chest began to lull her back into sleep.
A loud knock on the door jolted them up into alertness.
“Agent Ivanova asked me to come get you for an emergency meeting,” Felix’s voice boomed on the other side of the door. A chuckle quickly followed it.
“You too, Nate,” he snickered before skipping away down the hallway.
Nate shook his head and laughed.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking back at Anya. “You’re going to get a lot crap about this now.”
Her lips formed a soft smile as her eyes searched his.
“Worth it,” she whispered. His own smile grew larger as his gaze drifted down to her lips.
Another bang on the door.
“Some of us would like to get this meeting over with if you two are done fu-”
“Mason!” Nate yelled back, face stern in embarrassment. A “whatever” was mumbled on the other side and Mason retreated, following Felix.
“You sure it’s worth it?” He laughed contritely.
“Always,” she stated definitively.
They untangled from one another, and he rose from her bed.
“I’ll leave you to get ready then,” he ran a hand through his messy hair. “See in a little bit, detective.”
“Until then, agent,” she grinned at him as he left her room, shutting the door behind him.